Search results for " ASTHMA"

Acute painful paraplegia in a 49-year-old man with allergic asthma.

2014

We present a case of a 49-year-old man, with a 10-year history of bronchial asthma and nasal polyposis, who developed acutely painful paraplegia and paresthesias. Laboratory data showed elevated blood creatine kinase levels and myoglobinuria, which were diagnostic for rhabdomyolysis but only partially explained the neurological deficit. Electrophysiological studies revealed a sensorimotor neuropathy of multiple mononeuritis type. The patient also had leucocytosis with marked eosinophilia and antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies. Bronchial biopsies showed inflammatory infiltrates with a prevalence of eosinophils. All these findings led us to diagnose eosinophilic granulomatosis with pol…

Different skin prick test sensitization patterns do not influence the response to omalizumab in severe asthma

2017

Associations of greenness, greyness and air pollution exposure with children's health: a cross-sectional study in Southern Italy

2018

Background Due to the complex interplay among different urban-related exposures, a comprehensive approach is advisable to estimate the health effects. We simultaneously assessed the effect of “green”, “grey” and air pollution exposure on respiratory/allergic conditions and general symptoms in schoolchildren. Methods This study involved 219 schoolchildren (8–10 years) of the Municipality of Palermo, Italy. Data were collected through questionnaires self-administered by parents and children. Exposures to greenness and greyness at the home addresses were measured using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), residential surrounding greyness (RSG) and the CORINE land-cover classes (C…

RAPP-children: A new tool for assessing quality of life in patients with asthma and rhinitis

2020

Background: RhinAsthma Patient Perspective (RAPP) is a short, validated questionnaire for assessing health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adult patients with comorbid asthma and rhinitis, while a paediatric version is still not available. Objective: The current study aimed to develop and validate the RAPP-children questionnaire. Methods: RAPP-children was derived by combining RhinAsthma-children subscales into five unique items. At baseline (T0) and after 30 days (T1), 150 children (6-11 years) with comorbid asthma (predominantly intermittent or mild persistent) and rhinitis were given the following: RAPP-children, RhinAsthma-children, Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PA…

DNA Methylation in Inflammatory Pathways Modifies the Association between BMI and Adult-Onset Non-Atopic Asthma

2019

A high body mass (BMI) index has repeatedly been associated with non-atopic asthma, but the biological mechanism linking obesity to asthma is still poorly understood. We aimed to test the hypothesis that inflammation and/or innate immunity plays a role in the obesity-asthma link. DNA methylome was measured in blood samples of 61 non-atopic participants with asthma and 146 non-atopic participants without asthma (non-smokers for at least 10 years) taking part in the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA) study. Modification by DNA methylation of the association of BMI or BMI change over 10 years with adult-onset asthma was examined at each CpG sit…

Effects of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on Lung Function in Children with Asthma: A Mediation Analysis.

2022

Studies investigating the association between urinary Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and asthma in children provided inhomogeneous results. We aimed to use Mediation Analysis to discover whether a link between urinary PAHs and lung function exists and if it might be ascribed to a direct or a symptom-mediated (indirect) effect in children with asthma. This single-center prospective study was conducted in Palermo, Italy, between March and July 2017 and involved 50 children with persistent mild-moderate asthma, aged 6–11 years. At each time visit (day 0, 30, 60, and 90), physical examination, spirometry, and urine collection for detection of urinary cotinine and PAHs were performed. A…

DNA Methylation in Nasal Epithelium: Strengths and Limitations of an Emergent Biomarker for Childhood Asthma

2020

Asthma is one of the most widespread chronic respiratory conditions. This disease primarily develops in childhood and is influenced by different factors, mainly genetics and environmental factors. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism which may represent a bridge between these two factors, providing a tool to comprehend the interaction between genetics and environment. Most epidemiological studies in this field have been conducted using blood samples, although DNA methylation marks in blood may not be reliable for drawing exhaustive conclusions about DNA methylation in the airways. Because of the role of nasal epithelium in asthma and the tissue specificity of DNA methylation, studying…

Economic impact of mepolizumab in uncontrolled severe eosinophilic asthma, in real life

2021

Abstract Background and aims Severe asthma is burdened by frequent exacerbations and use of oral corticosteroids (OCS) which worsen patients’ health and increase healthcare spending. Aim of this study was to assess the clinical and economic effect of adding mepolizumab (MEP) for the treatment of these patients. Methods Patients >18 years old, referred to 8 asthma clinics, starting MEP between May 2017 and December 2018, were enrolled and followed-up for 12 months. Information in the 12 months before mepolizumab were collected retrospectively. The evaluation parameters included: OCS use, number of exacerbations/hospitalizations, concomitant therapies, comorbidity, and annual number of workin…

Induction of a disintegrin and metalloprotease 33 during embryonic lung development and the influence of IL-13 or maternal allergy.

2009

Background Asthma pathogenesis involves gene and environmental interactions. A disintegrin and metalloprotease 33 (ADAM33)/Adam33 is a susceptibility gene for asthma and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in human beings and mice. ADAM33 is almost exclusively expressed in mesenchymal cells, including mesenchymal progenitors in developing lungs. Objective Because maternal allergy is a risk factor for asthma, we hypothesized that an allergic environment affects ADAM33/Adam33 expression during human and mouse lung development. Methods Human embryonic/fetal lung (HEL) tissues were collected from first-trimester terminations of pregnancy. These were processed immediately or used for explant culture ±…

Phospho-p38 MAPK expression in COPD patients and asthmatics and in challenged bronchial epithelium

2015

<b><i>Background:</i></b> The role of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in regulating the inflammatory response in the airways of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthmatic patients is unclear. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> To investigate the expression of activated MAPK in lungs of COPD patients and in bronchial biopsies of asthmatic patients and to study MAPK expression in bronchial epithelial cells in response to oxidative and inflammatory stimuli. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Immunohistochemical expression of phospho (p)-p38 MAPK, p-JNK1 and p-ERK1/2 was measured in bronchial mucosa in pat…